eternity | vk

twenty four

mellow tones hung low in the sky, stretches of gradient multicolored patches filling the vast canvas above. seated on the edge of his bed, jungkook nuzzled into the warmth of the feathery comforter, a raspy sigh escaping his throat as his eyes fluttered shut.
it was still fairly early in the morning, and jungkook was still feeling a bit drowsy—the previous evening was fraught with rain, but being able to hold his love in his arms [he loved the feeling of taehyung's chestnut locks brushing against his chin, the steady rise and fall of his chest, the soft wisps of his breath. . . ] was enough comfort to satisfy him for the evening.

lately, the duo's relationship had been a bit gauche, so to speak. their usual roles—they had been far from reversed—had been flipped left and right and thrown all about into a jumbled mess. before, taehyung, who was quite fond of mornings [which was quite fitting, considering that he was much like the morning sun himself], had gone on all their coffee runs. the brunette had memorized their coffee orders and preferences by heart, and starting off each morning with a steaming hot cup of coffee [topped with white cream and drizzled with caramel syrup] was sumptous—it was a simple pleasures that marked the joys of his life. however, now, jungkook was the one who brewed the mahogany fluid in their own home, making sure to add a couple extra scoops of crystalline sugar into taehyung's portion before treating the older.

jungkook had also found himself speaking formally to the elder at times [at which taehyung would raise an eyebrow, but he wouldn't say anything], and referring to him as his hyung. the stiff dialect stirred up awkward tension between the two, resulting in their communication consisting mostly of tacit actions and gestures. their relationship, though mended [somewhat haphazardly], had taken a dive for the worse, or so it seemed.

but some were welcome additions: each morning, before the two parted ways to commute to work, taehyung would peck a chaste kiss on jungkook's cheek, whispering to the younger that he loved him. jungkook would then return the gesture, and the feeling of taehyung's smooth skin under his fingertips lulled his heart to a content state.

this morning didn't seem to be any different.

"g'morning, tae," jungkook had yawned upon entering the kitchen, still donning his sleepwear.

"morning," taehyung chimed back, gesturing to a mug of coffee across the table, and jungkook cocked a brow—it was an unusual, yet welcome change.

"how'd you sleep?" jungkook asked, seating himself beside taehyung at the table and wrapping his hand around the circumference of the mug, the warmth of the fresh coffee spreading to his fingertips.

"good," taehyung responded listlessly before chewing on his lip, looking as if he wanted to say something else, "kook, can i talk to you about something?"

"mhm," jungkook hummed back, taking a sip of the beverage.

"i— promise you won't get mad? or embarrassed? or—"

"what is it?" jungkook queried, becoming slightly concerned with taehyung's sudden flurry of questions.

"promise first."

"i promise."

"okay, so," taehyung perched his chin onto his palm, eyes trailing down to the table beneath his elbows, "we haven't exactly. . . recovered our relationship to what we were before."

oh.

"and, i was just thinking," taehyung traced his fingers over the crevices in the wooden table, "i think we'll be better off if we just come clean— tell each other anything we've been sorta hiding or trying to forget about. get it all out in the open, y'know?"

". . . yeah?" jungkook responded, a note of uncertainty in his tone, "that's a good idea, tae. why would i be embarrassed?"

"well," taehyung exhaled deeply, "i want us to be close, kook, i really do. i know you think that i'm being cautious around you because i don't trust you anymore, but that's not the case. i just. . . it felt a little strange going back into our normal relationship so suddenly— if that even makes sense?— that it's taking me a while to adjust."

"yeah, i get that," jungkook hummed in agreement, gazing at taehyung's chestnut-brown hair.

"so, i. . . know this isn't a particularly pleasant memory, but do you remember a week or two ago when you came back to me? stood in the rain and told me you loved me?" there was a slight lilt in his voice as he spoke that the other didn't quite catch.

"yeah," jungkook replied, his stomach churning—he had a feeling he wouldn't like where this was going.

"i. . . i didn't know how we could possibly make amends after what you did, and i didn't know whether or not you were messing around with me," taehyung spoke softly, his voice mellowed as he drummed his fingers against the ceramic mug.
he emitted a muted sigh before continuing, "i heard you crying. i-in the bathroom, i mean. i didn't mean to hear it— i promise i wasn't eavesdropping— but you were taking a while, so i stopped by to check on you, and. . . it just happened."

jungkook's heart lurched a bit, and he felt his cheeks heating up in embarrassment.

"oh."

"and i really didn't know how to tell you that i really do trust you," taehyung rushed on, stealing a brief glimpse at his boyfriend, "but after i heard you, i knew that. . . that you were sincere, i guess. in the spur of the moment when you broke things off, i could only think about how upset i was and not how torn apart you were— mind, that whole ordeal was still your fault— but. . . kook, i trust you. you don't have to do all these things for me anymore. i always got the coffee—" taehyung jabbed his chest with a finger, "you don't have to do that. you don't have to be so stilted around me— i know you're not really like that. i've known you practically since we first started breathing, so stop being nervous and just be yourself around me. i love you, jungkook, and i hope you can go back to being the clumsy idiot you always were— and i mean that in a the best way possible."

jungkook's voice caught in his throat—taehyung heard him? you promised you wouldn't be embarrassed, he chastised himself, but really, i thought i was being—

"you promised you wouldn't be embarrassed," taehyung piped up pointedly, tilting his head to study jungkook's expression.

"i'm n—"

"you look like you're gonna cry, you big baby," taehyung laughed, poking a finger into jungkook's cheek, "if you cry because of me again, i'll be upset too."

a small smile toyed with jungkook's lips, and he pushed taehyung lightly, "alright, alright, i won't."

"is there anything you wanna say to me?" taehyung propped his head up on his hands, his palms squishing into his marshmallow cheeks.

"yeah, i— i, uh. . . "
thoughts of their first, second, third, and more dates came to mind— he could still smell the mildewy morning when he had asked the brunette to be his boyfriend. he remembers doodles in the spine of his math workbooks, the crestfallen pang in his heart when he saw taehyung with his arm slung around a girl, the way his heart skipped a beat whenever their eyes met. he could taste the heavily artificially flavored cherry slushies they shared, he could smell the musty ink-permeated pages of borrowed books, and if he closed his eyes, he was back in the stillness of the evening drive-in movie, huddled in the back of their highschool while casablanca strummed in the backdrop; he could still recall his clammy hands and shuddering breath when he grazed his fingers against taehyung's honeyed skin, their only dialogue exchanged with whispers and flitting glances.

jungkook flushed a bright pink color, and his heart pounded— taehyung was oh so close, and oh, how he had longed for a moment where he could gaze into his lover's mesmerizing features and melt in his touch. and before he could stop himself, he brushed a hand across taehyung's tanned cheek and leaned in closer—so close that jungkook could feel taehyung's breath fanning onto his jaw, so close that jungkook could smell the faint scent of the laundry detergent they used to wash their clothing just yesterday— and he inclined his head, his lips brushing against taehyung's.

"you're my eternity, taehyung. you're my forever."